He said: “Having carried out a detailed review of the evidence gathered so far by Dyfed Powys police, I have come to the ­conclusion there is sufficient evidence to charge Mark Bridger with murder and it is in the public interest to do so.

“I have also concluded there is sufficient evidence to charge the defendant with ­attempting to pervert the course of justice and child abduction.”

Bridger will appear before magistrates in Aberystwyth tomorrow.

The dramatic decision came just 60 minutes ahead of the maximum 96 hours detectives could hold Bridger before charging or ­releasing him.

Chief Constable Jackie Roberts told a press conference in Aberystwyth the ­investigation was “one of the most complex and fast-moving ­inquiries in the history of our force”. She said: “Now that Mark Bridger has been charged with this horrific crime it is time to let the judicial process take its course and time to let the family come to terms with what has happened over the last week.

“In the meantime, our efforts to find April will be as meticulous as they have been from the outset of this inquiry until we have ­exhausted all available options.

“Our thoughts are with April’s family and the people who knew her in the community of Machynlleth.”

She added: “The investigation has been marked by the coming together of people from across the country with one aim in mind – to return April to her family.

“I have spent time with the family and they are overwhelmed by the number of people who wanted to help in any way they possibly could.

“Everyone is working to the same goal to find April safe and well and return her to her family.” Specialist police teams and mountain rescuers stepped up the hunt for April after bad weather halted the search.

Helicopters hovered over hills as experts trawled through hedges, rivers and fields for the girl who disappeared while playing just yards from her home.

More than 100 police officers, search and rescue experts and a small army of ­volunteers were still out yesterday.

Senior police officers say no stone will be left unturned in the search, which will ­continue with the same manpower until at least Wednesday.

Superintendent Ian John said: “This ­morning we have deployed ten specialist ­police teams who are conducting a systematic and methodical search in and around the town.

“We continue to have the support of a whole range of search and rescue teams who are using specialist equipment.

“We will be keeping April’s ­family fully updated on progress.

“Finally, we are maintaining the momentum of the search and we ­remain ­totally focussed and committed to finding April.”

A family friend said the five-year-old and her sister Jasmine, 16, both knew Bridger well.

He said: “His daughter played with April all the time. I wouldn’t say he was a family friend but he was a familiar face.”

We can reveal police also raided a second house – one Bridger used to live in in Llanwrin, a few miles from his rented cottage in ­Ceinws.

A neighbour, a local garage worker who asked not to be named, said: “It was in the early hours of Tuesday. I woke up to a ­massive bang and saw coppers storm in.”

A worker at London’s House hairdessers said she used to cut April’s hair and knew Bridger well.

She said: “I knew him for years. There wasn’t a creepy bone about him. He’s got kids himself. It’s very odd.

“I know one of his ex-girlfriends, she’s got kids and they used to stay in most of the time. She was at the leisure centre when he was named as the prime suspect.

“She was stunned.

“As for his links to the Jones family, as far as I know there was no conflict, no rift, no aggravation. So his arrest is pretty baffling.”